Ex-Olympian Hearn may pursue legal action after reflecting pool charges dropped

Prosecutors have dropped charges against former Olympic canoeist David Hearn, who had been accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool. Hearn's attorney, Steven Levin, stated that "all options are on the table" for legal recourse, including civil suits, bar referrals for the prosecutors involved, and requests for investigations.

Hearn, 67, was arrested in June and faced a felony charge of property destruction. The charge stemmed from damage to the reflecting pool's new liner, which began peeling shortly after a $14 million renovation during the Trump administration. While four people were initially arrested, Hearn was the only one charged with a felony.

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has a number of potential remedies

The Department of Justice moved to dismiss the charge, citing information that the damage resulted from a "flawed installation by the contractor." Court filings indicated a rushed project completion before Fourth of July celebrations, with repeated installation failures and extensive peeling of the liner.

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the result of flawed installation by the contractor

The decision to drop the charges led to internal disputes within the Trump administration. President Trump publicly criticized the US Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, for dismissing the case, suggesting she had "choked" and "folded like an umbrella." Pirro was later seen at the White House.

Hearn's attorneys had previously stated that the government "owes Mr Hearn an apology," asserting that the case should never have been brought. They argued that the dismissal does not erase the alleged abuse of government power in arresting and charging an innocent individual.

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The Trump administration’s case against Davey Hearn should have never been brought. Its dismissal … does not erase the abuse of government power in arresting and charging a patriotic American who did nothing wrong.